Bottle assembly with removable container assembly

ABSTRACT

A plastic bottle assembly includes a bottle having a bottom, a generally cylindrical body extending from the bottom, and a top opening opposite the bottom. A multi-compartment container assembly is removably secured to a lower portion of the bottle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to plastic water bottles, andspecifically to a water bottle assembly having a container removeablyconnected to a lower portion of the water bottle.

The use of plastic water bottles for drinking is well known in the art,and various structural configurations are known, the main purpose ofwhich is to provide a receptacle for containing water or otherbeverages. It is also known in the art that these bottles can either becollapsible or non-collapsible. Typically, the former are collapsible byaxial compression when the bottle is empty of liquid. U.S. Pat. No.5,746,339 discloses such a collapsible bottle.

Many people take medication or vitamins to preserve weight, beautyand/or health, among other reasons. Such pills must sometimes beingested at inconvenient times or when one is away from a sink, drinkingfountain, or other fixed source of drinking water. Thus, many peopletravel with their pills and a water bottle so that the medication can betaken at their leisure. However, because the pills and bottle aretypically located separately from each other, it is sometimes difficultto handle both at once, or in some cases, it is easy to misplace one orthe other. It is easy to imagine one dropping his or her medicationwhile attempting to unscrew the top of the water bottle, or leaving themedication at home on the counter but remembering to pack a waterbottle.

Thus, there is a need for a bottle assembly that includes a containerassembly that can be easily secured to and removed from the bottle,especially where the container assembly is used for storage purposes.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above-identified needs are addressed by the present bottle assembly.One feature of the present bottle assembly is a bottle that is bothsuitable for retaining drinking water or other beverage and isconfigured for removably engaging a preferably multi-compartmentcontainer assembly. The present container assembly includes a pluralityof container compartments and corresponding container compartment lidsor covers. The container compartments are configured for receiving itemssuch as pills or other medications that are taken with water or otherbeverage found in the bottle. An optional feature of the present bottleassembly is that the body of the bottle can be manufactured to be eithercollapsible or non-collapsible, depending on the preference or needs ofthe user.

More specifically, the present assembly provides a plastic bottleassembly having a bottle and a multi-compartment container assembly. Thebottle has a bottom, a generally cylindrical body that extends from thebottom, and a top opening that is located opposite from the bottom. Itis preferred that the container assembly is removably secured to a lowerportion of the bottle.

In a second embodiment, a pill container assembly is configured forengaging a bottle. Included with the pill container assembly are a cup,a container and a container lid. The cup has a bottom and a perimeterside wall extending from an upper perimeter edge of the bottom, definingan upper opening. It is contemplated that the cup is configured forattachment to a bottle bottom. A plurality of compartments are providedwithin the container, which is configured for insertion into the cup.Finally, the container lid is configured to fit over the container, andhas a plurality of covers. Each of the covers in the container lid isconfigured to correspond with one of the compartments within thecontainer.

The present bottle may also be collapsible and configured for receivinga multi-compartment container assembly. It is preferred that thecontainer assembly is removably secured to a lower portion of thebottle. The bottle has a bottom, a generally cylindrical collapsiblebody extending from the bottom, and a top opening that is opposite thebottom. The collapsible body includes a plurality of transverse,substantially “V”-shaped fluting grooves. A plurality of outwardlyprojecting radiused edges are formed at the bottom of each of thefluting grooves and is configured for obscuring the fluting grooves whenthe bottle is axially compressed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is an exploded perspective view of the upper portion of thepresent bottle assembly;

FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view of the present bottle body andring;

FIG. 1C is an exploded perspective view of the present containerassembly;

FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective of the assembly of FIG. 1 in acollapsed position; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged inside view of the present container assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIGS. 1A-1C, a plastic bottle assembly is generallydesignated as 10. Included in the assembly 10 is a bottle generallydesignated 12 suitable for retaining drinking water or other beveragehaving a bottom 14. Extending from the bottom 14 is a generallycylindrical body 16. Opposite the bottom 14 is a top opening 18. Thebottle assembly 10 further includes a multi-compartment containerassembly generally designated 20 that is removably secured to a lowerportion of the bottle 12. It is contemplated that the bottle 12 ismanufactured from a durable and flexible thermoplastic, although it iscontemplated that other materials may be used, as are known in the art.Many suitable techniques for making the bottle 12 are contemplated,including but not limited to blow molding or injection molding. It isfurther contemplated that the multi-compartment container assembly 20 ismanufactured from a rigid thermoplastic that will retain its shape, asis known by those skilled in the art. The multi-compartment containerassembly 20 and its components can be manufactured through a processsuch as injection molding, although other similar conventionalfabrication or production techniques are contemplated.

An upper shell generally designated 22 is secured over an upper portionof the body 16, and includes a threaded neck 24 with a top opening 26that is configured to surround the bottle top opening 18. It iscontemplated that the upper shell 22 can be manufactured in acollapsible form if the bottle 12 is configured to be axiallycompressed. If the upper shell 22 is manufactured in this manner, it iscontemplated that an upper portion 23 a of the upper shell 22 willcollapse into the upper shell, as shown in FIG. 2. A lower portion 23 bof the upper shell 22 retains its shape when the upper shell iscollapsed. The bottle assembly 10 further includes a cap 28 that ispreferably threadably secured to the top opening 26 of the shell 22.Although the present bottle assembly 10 discloses a threaded top openingand cap, it is contemplated that the cap 28 can be secured to the topopening 26 by a snap-fit or other means of attachment as are known bythose skilled in the art. In addition, it is contemplated that the cap28 optionally includes a pop-up drinking spout or a pivoting spout (notshown). However, the present assembly 10 is not limited to these typesof caps or spouts.

The present bottle assembly 10 further includes a tether 30 that has afirst end 30 a that is secured to and extends transversely from asnap-fit tab 31 engageable on the cap 28. A second end 30 b of thetether 30 can be secured to the neck 24 of the upper shell 22,underneath the cap 28, thus maintaining a connection between the tether30 and the bottle assembly 10. As is known in the art, the purpose ofthe tether 30 is to maintain a connection between the cap 28 and thebottle 12 when the cap 28 is unfastened from the neck 24, as occurs whenthe user is drinking from, or refilling the bottle 12. Because the capis normally a small component of a bottle assembly 10, it can easily bemisplaced or dropped when unfastening the cap from the bottle 12. Thus,the tether 30 prevents the cap 28 from being entirely separated from thebottle 12.

Referring to FIG. 1B, the present bottle assembly 10 also includes aring 32 that is secured to the bottle 12 adjacent to the bottom 14. Thering 32 is preferably secured to the bottle 12 by means of either achemical adhesive or sonic welding. However, it is contemplated thatother means of attachment are possible, as are known in the art, and thepresent assembly is not limited to the means disclosed. Themulti-compartment container assembly 20 is removably secured to a lowerperimeter edge 34 of the ring 32.

As previously mentioned, the present bottle assembly 10 preferablyincludes either a non-collapsible or a collapsible body. Referring nowto FIG. 2, the collapsible body 36 is shown in its fully collapsed form.The body 36 is configured to be collapsible by axial compression whenthe bottle 12 is empty of liquid, or at least is less than full. Thecollapsible body 36 is provided with a plurality of transverse flutinggrooves 38, best seen in FIG. 1B. Each of the transverse fluting grooves38 is substantially “V”-shaped when viewed from the side. Thecollapsible body 36 further includes a plurality of outwardly projectingradiused edges 40 that are formed at a bottom perimeter of each flutinggroove 38. The radiused edges 40 facilitate manufacturing of the bottle12 and are configured for obscuring the fluting grooves 38 when thebottle 12 is axially compressed. It is contemplated that because the“V”-shaped fluting grooves and the radiused edges 40 are in theimmediate vicinity of each other, the rigidity of the rounded edges ofthe empty bottle is reduced. Therefore, the bottle can be collapsed byapplying a relatively small axial compression. It is submitted that thecollapsible bottle assembly 10 is more compact and easily transportablecompared to the embodiment where the bottle 12 is non-collapsible.

Referring now to FIG. 1C, an enlarged exploded perspective view of thecontainer assembly 20 is depicted. The generally annular containerassembly 20 includes a cup 42 with a bottom 43 and a perimeter side wall44. The perimeter side wall 44 extends from an upper perimeter edge ofthe cup bottom 43 and defines an upper opening 46. The cup 42 isconfigured for being secured to the bottle 12 by attaching to an innerperimeter of the ring 32. As shown in FIG. 1B, the ring 32 is secured tothe bottle 12 adjacent to the bottom 14. An inner perimeter of the ring32 includes at least one of a complementary bayonet-style,“push-and-twist” lug and groove attachment mechanism 47 that isconfigured for being secured to the cup 42.

The lug and groove attachment mechanism 47 can best be seen in FIGS.1B-1C. It is contemplated that the lugs 47 a are located on either thering 32 or the cup 42, and the complementary grooves 47 b are located onthe corresponding cup 42 or the ring 32. It is submitted that thissystem for attachment of the cup 42 to the bottle 12 allows the cup 42to be easily removed from and inserted into the ring 32, while at thesame time maintaining a secure connection between the two components.Although a lug and groove attachment method is disclosed in the presentbottle assembly, it is contemplated that the cup 42 can be secured tothe ring 32 by other means, as are known by those skilled in the art.

The container assembly 20 further includes a container 48 that isconfigured for removable insertion in the cup 42. The container 48includes a plurality of preferably equally sized compartments 50, eachof which is radially displaced from a central portion of the container48. It is contemplated that the number, size and configuration of thecompartments 50 may vary to suit the application. Included on thecontainer assembly 20 is a container lid 52 that is removably secured tothe container 48. A prime function of the lid 52 is to cover each of thecompartments 50. As such, the container lid 52 has a plurality ofindividually openable covers 54 that are configured to correspond to theplurality of compartments 50 within the container 48. It is preferredthat each of the covers 54 is equal in shape, and that the size, shapeand number of each of the covers is configured to correspond to each ofthe respective compartments 50. Each of the covers 54 has a hinge 55that allows the covers 54 to be independently opened or closed. Thehinge 55 is preferably the “living hinge” type and integrallymanufactured from the same rigid thermoplastic as the rest of thecontainer lid 52. However, the living hinge 55 is of a lesser thicknessthan the rest of the container lid 52 so that the hinge is flexibleenough to facilitate opening and closing of the covers 54.

Also provided on the container 48 is at least one locating hole 56preferably disposed within its center. The hole 56 is configured forreceiving a depending cylindrical lug portion 58 that extends from abottom 60 of the container lid 52. As seen in FIG. 3, the container lid52 is attached to the container 48 by pressing the cylindrical portion58 into the hole 56. It is contemplated that this connection can be madeby means of a snap-fit, friction fit or other type of attachment as isknown by those skilled in the art.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the interior of each of the plurality ofcompartments 50 includes at least one of a complementary lug and grooveattachment 62 that is configured for being secured to the container lid52. While seven compartments 50 are preferred, the number may vary tosuit the application. It is contemplated that lugs 64 are located oneither each of the compartments 50 or the lid 52, and that complementarygrooves 66 are located on the corresponding compartment 50 or the lid52. These individual lug and groove attachments 62 secure the lid covers54 to the compartments 50 and allow the container lid covers 54 to beopened independently of the others, enabling access to one of theplurality of container compartments 50 at a time. Also, the containerlid 52 remains securely attached to the container 48 when one or more ofthe container lid covers 54 are opened because of the insertion of theextending cylindrical portion 58 into the hole 56. The two separateconnection means between the container lid 52 and the container 48prevent the container lid covers 54 from opening inadvertently when thecontainer assembly 20 is removed from the bottle 12. Although specificmethods of attachment are disclosed in the present bottle assembly 10,it is contemplated that other means of attachment are possible, as areknown by those in the art.

While particular embodiments of the present bottle assembly have beendescribed herein, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the artthat changes and modifications may be made thereto without departingfrom the invention in its broader aspects and as set forth in thefollowing claims.

1. A plastic bottle assembly comprising: a bottle having a bottom, agenerally cylindrical body extending from said bottom, and a top openingopposite said bottom; and a multi-compartment container assemblyremovably secured to a lower portion of said bottle.
 2. The assembly ofclaim 1 further including an upper shell secured over an upper portionof said body, said shell comprising a neck with a threaded top openingconfigured to surround said bottle top opening.
 3. The assembly of claim2 further including a cap threadably secured to said top opening of saidshell.
 4. The assembly of claim 3 further including a tether secured tosaid cap, the tether secured to and extending transversely from an upperperimeter of said cap.
 5. The assembly of claim 1 further including aring secured to said bottle adjacent said bottom and wherein saidmulti-compartment container assembly is removably secured to a lowerperimeter edge of said ring.
 6. The assembly of claim 5 wherein saidring is secured to a lower perimeter edge of said bottle bottom eitherby at least one of a chemical adhesive and sonic welding.
 7. Theassembly of claim 1 wherein said body is configured to be collapsible byaxial compression when said bottle is empty of liquid.
 8. The assemblyof claim 7 wherein said collapsible body is provided with a plurality oftransverse fluting grooves.
 9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein each ofsaid plurality of transverse fluting grooves is substantially V-shaped.10. The assembly of claim 8 further including a plurality of outwardlyprojecting radiused edges formed at a bottom perimeter of each saidfluting groove, said edges configured for obscuring said fluting grooveswhen said bottle is axially compressed.
 11. The assembly of claim 1wherein said container assembly further includes a cup with a bottom anda perimeter side wall extending from an upper perimeter edge of saidbottom, defining an upper opening.
 12. The assembly of claim 11 furtherincluding a ring secured to said bottle adjacent said bottom wherein aninner perimeter of said ring includes at least one of a complementarylug and groove attachment configured for being secured to said cup. 13.The assembly of claim 12 wherein said container assembly comprises acontainer including a plurality of compartments and being configured forinsertion in said cup.
 14. The assembly of claim 13 wherein each of saidplurality of container compartments is radially displaced from a centralportion of said container.
 15. The assembly of claim 13 wherein saidassembly further includes a container lid removably secured to coversaid container, said container lid having a plurality of individuallyopenable covers configured to correspond to the plurality ofcompartments in the container.
 16. The assembly of claim 15 wherein saidpill container is provided with a hole in a center of said containerconfigured for receiving a cylindrical protrusion extending from abottom of said container lid.
 17. The assembly of claim 15 wherein aninterior of each of the plurality of pill container compartmentsincludes at least one of a complementary lug and groove attachmentconfigured for being secured to said container lid.
 18. The assembly ofclaim 15 wherein each of said container lid covers includes at least oneof a complementary lug and groove attachment configured for beingsecured to said container.
 19. A pill container assembly configured forengaging a bottle, comprising: a cup with a bottom and a perimeter sidewall extending from an upper perimeter edge of said bottom, defining anupper opening, said cup being configured for attachment to a bottlebottom; a container configured for insertion into said cup, andincluding a plurality of compartments; and a container lid configured tofit over said container, said container lid including a plurality ofcovers, each of said covers being configured to correspond with each ofsaid compartments.
 20. A collapsible bottle assembly configured forreceiving a multi-compartment container assembly, comprising: a bottlehaving a bottom, a generally cylindrical collapsible body extending fromsaid bottom, said collapsible body comprising a plurality of transversesubstantially V-shaped fluting grooves and a plurality of outwardlyprojecting radiused edges formed at a bottom perimeter of each saidfluting groove, said edges configured for obscuring said fluting grooveswhen said bottle is axially compressed, and a top opening opposite saidbottom; and a multi-compartment container assembly removably secured toa lower portion of said bottle.